Southern Pacific always had a need for lots of big six-axle power. The
system's characteristics (many mountainous grades and tunnels) led to some
unique innovations, most notably the development of the "tunnel motor"
modification. This was applied to SD45T-2 and SD40T-2 models from EMD.
By the time of the merger with Union Pacific, enough locomotives had been
rebuilt that it was not always easy to tell what was under the hood.
For instance, many rebuilt SD40-2's were riding around on what had
originally been SD45 frames. Even some Rio Grande SD45's were
reincarnated in this way as SP units. It helps to have a
well-researched resource at hand, when spotting the SPL.
On all units purchased after the merger, the headlight arrangement was
simplified considerably from the usual SP practice. The red Mars
lights and other signal lights were abandoned (and removed from older
units). None of the newer units even had lights on the low nose, until
the AC4400's arrived.
Instead, amber beacons were installed over the cab. Later, when ditch
lights became the norm, the beacons were left off, and sometimes removed
from existing units.
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SD40's, SD45's |

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SD40R No. 7349 leads the ZDVRO intermodal train just east of Parachute, CO
on 8/11/1999. It's paired with Rio Grande tunnel motor 5404 as the
sole power on this UP train. The train was
flying past at 70 mph, photographed from the shoulder of Interstate 70, so
my photos weren't stellar, but what the heck... Here's a side view. |
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SP SD40R
No. 7368 is the middle unit on a westbound intermodal train at Granite, CO
on 10/22/92. |
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SD40R in Helm Leasing (HLCX) lettering, on the former Golden State Route
near Tularosa on 2/18/2008. This unit seems to have received a new
number when it went to Helm-- it's now No. 6335. If I succeed in
tracking down the original SP number, I'll post it here. Still very
cool to see an old EMD running on a mainlilne autorack train in 2008. |
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SP SD45R No. 7454 heads up ten units and a long manifest train, between New Castle and
Glenwood Springs, CO
(7/1/1995). She's showing her age and the wear-and-tear of heavy use
with inadequate maintenance. |
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UPDATED SD45R No. 7552 leads a drag freight westbound out of Tucson on
3/13/1995. |
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SP SD45R No. 7562 is still in Kodachrome paint from the Merger That
Never Happened. It's 11/25/1994 and she's running second on a coal
train about to enter the Moffat Tunnel. |
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UPDATED SP 8605 is actually a SD40M-2 rebuild from Morrison-Knudsen,
delivered in 1994. She only looks like an SD45. |
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UPDATEDSP SD40M-2 No. 8694, another MK rebuild from August 1994, is one of the
stranger-looking locomotives I've seen (check out the location of the
radiator fans, and the length of the long hood). It is one of six
former SDP45 (or SD45R, if you prefer) units originally built for the EL.
It's at Silt, CO on 8/04/1998. See
here for more
information. |
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Something new: a trio of SD70M's (Nos. 9809, 9805, 9816)
lead an eastbound coal train down from the Moffat Tunnel on 11/22/94.
SPL ordered 24 of these units, the last 6-axle locos to come from EMD before
the UP merger. |
Tunnel Motors: SD40T-2 and SD45T-2 |
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SD40T-2 No. 8236 is running elephant-style behind three
GP60's on the Golden State route on June 25, 1997. The westbound train
is just entering Alamogordo, NM, and it's 9 months after the UP merger. |
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SP No. 8248 is in the middle of the consist of an eastbound
train leaving Tucson on Feb. 5th, 1988. It was part of an order that
arrived in 1980, as are the units above and below. |
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SD40T-2 No. 8264 is third on a westbound intermodal at
Granite, CO on 10/22/1992. This image is a detail from a larger
image-- I didn't have a zoom lens back then...
Update: this unit was a full UP
repaint, and
I caught it in Houston on 10/17/2007 as UP No. 2397 (almost exactly 15
years after this photo). |
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Snoot No. 8321 is westbound at Cotopaxi, CO on 8/17/96,
three weeks before the UP merger. |
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SD40T-2 Snoot No. 8355 is helping out with the Ski Train on 2/19/1994. It's proof that
fresh paint does not a reliable locomotive make. She stalled near tunnel
12 (note the puffs of smoke from the stack). As a result, the GP40M on the
point is pulling the whole train, plus the dead 8355, so we're making barely 5
mph on the 2% grade. After limping into Crescent siding a couple of miles
ahead, we were met by two speed-lettered units cut from a train up at
Pinecliffe, which assisted us the rest of the way to Winter Park.
Interesting day. Yes, the train was a bit late that day... |
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SD40T-2 No. 8491 is running fourth on a westbound manifest
at Johnson Village, CO On 2/18/1994. It's been repainted into Speed
Lettering and had the usual modifications. Also note the nose of SD45R
No. 7557, a Kodachrome unit. You can see where the signal light and
upper headlights were removed, and a beacon added. No ditch lights at
this time for her, though. |
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NEW
SD40T-2 No. 8495 is the trailing unit on a westbound drag freight at north
Tucson, March 13, 1995. She's been repainted and modified in the usual
ways. The bell is still over the cab, though (see this photo). |

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Two views of SD40T-2 No. 8496, here leading a westbound
intermodal train at Granite, CO, on the Central Corridor route. These
are cropped from larger images. |
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SD40T-2 No. 8497 sits on the readyline at Grand Junction on
March 7, 2002. It has the usual Speed Lettering modifications,
including SP-style ditch lights and relocation of the horn. The low
nose plainly shows the original SP light bracket. |
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NEW:
Here's an extract from a larger image of SD40T-2 No. 8506, entering
Tucson on 2/05/1988. Sorry about the power pole. Note that she
still sports the full light package. It was still about eight months
until the RGI merger would be finalized. |
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No. 8519 is on the point of a dead manifest train in the
siding at Silt, CO on 8/04/1998. The paint is pretty far gone on this
unit... |
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SD40T-2
No. 8532 is running fourth on the MDVPU manifest on April 26, 2001.
It's rolling through Sedalia, CO, at about 5:00 PM. It's in the
company of three D&RGW tunnel motors; all four units are having miles worked
off so they can be retired sooner by UP. Nevertheless, it was great to
see four tunnel motors together in 2001. |
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UPDATED SD40T-2 No. 8550 is westbound on the Moffat on Christmas
Eve, 1988. She's surrounded by four D&RGW GP40-class units as she
emerges from tunnel 1. It's only about 3 months since the merger, and
she's still in SP configuration. I compensated the photo a little bit for
the shadow... |
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SD40T-2 No. 8560 heads up a westbound empty coal train at
the east portal of Moffat Tunnel on 11/25/1994. It's freshly shopped
and repainted (sparkling clean). In a somewhat-unusual move, the hole
where the nose beacon was removed has been plated over. |
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SSW SD45T-2 No. 9164 comes into Tucson from the east on
2/05/1988. The two quickest ways to differentiate between a 40 and a
45 are: (1) the 45's nose is pushed out onto the front porch, and (2) those
little panels above the open grille on the rear. The 45 has three; the
40 has two. |
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SD45T-2 No. 9362 is the last unit on a four-place swing
helper, shoving an eastbound coal train out of Glenwood Springs on
6/29/1995. It has been repainted in Speed Lettering, so technically
this SSW unit is now SP. The next unit ahead is an SP SD40R, then D&RGW
tunnel motor No. 5366 (making all the smoke), then Rio Grande SD50 No. 5515.
It looks great on video, believe me! |
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Cotton Belt SD45T-2 No. 9372 is on the point of Amtrak No.
5, the California Zephyr, on March 14, 1993. The train is
several hours late, which may be why this six-axle brute is leading it up
the hill. Power shortage? |
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One of my all-time favorite photos is of SD45T-2 No. 9398,
running light in the fog at tunnel 1 on the Moffat line. It's also a
full repaint in Speed Lettering. The date is 7/20/1994. |
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UPDATED This image, a detail from a larger frame, shows a pair of
SD45T-2's in Fraser, CO. No. 9401 is a Cotton Belt unit that's been
redone in Speed Lettering (including having the horns moved and ditch lights
added). The other unit, whose number I can't make out, is actually an SP
SD45T-2R, one of a group rebuilt from the as-delivered SD45T-2's circa 1988.
(I have it on video; I'll review and post an update here soon.) |